New Nintendo 3DS XL Hyrule Edition

In my basement there is a large box. If you dug into this box you would find the entire gaming library of my youth. Probably the most archaic machine that I have in there is my old grey brick original Game Boy. The grandfather of all handheld consoles, this thing allowed me to play my first and THE first Pokemon game ever.

Fast forward to Black Friday 2015 where I picked up my Golden Hyrule edition of the New Nintendo 3DS XL. With my current job change, I found myself facing almost two hours of daily commuting on the bus. Though it’s still not an ideal situation, this offered me the chance to re-discover an old flame of mine from my past, the JRPG.

I naturally bought a Zelda game to match with the system, but was astonished at how far these handheld systems have come even without any game cartridges. Things like a built-in camera with AR, Youtube integration, and built in pedometer feel like fun little bonuses. What I have been having the most fun with is the StreetPass function that allows 3DS systems to scan for each other and send packets of information to each other. Small mini-games progress as you meet more DS systems and it instantly gives you a feeling of community between 3DS users. Shortly after buying the 3DS, I found myself bringing it everywhere I go to hunt out more Street Pass tags.

Now, if you’ve read this far and own a 3DS, you’re probably very unimpressed. I fully realize all of these functions have been with the 3DS for a very long time. With the insane functions of cell phones nowadays, it must all seem pretty low tech. Despite this, I still think that the 3DS does what Nintendo has done for years to stay afloat. The 3DS, much like the Wii and Wii U, is just fun. The focus isn’t on graphics and system power, but is instead on how to innovate and best use technology. I’m glad that Nintendo is still around and expect to see more posts on 3DS games in this new year.